The Miracle App That's Helped More Than 20,000 Women Get Pregnant

As anyone trying to conceive knows, being woefully disorganized can be yet another baby barrier. From tracking your basal body temperature to charting cervical mucus to using OPKs (ovulation predictor kits), plenty of diligent info-gathering is needed every month to make an educated guess at the best time(s) to do the proverbial "baby dance."

So when I read this article about a handy new app called Glow, I was instantly intrigued. In the story, 37-year-old journalist Alissa Walker chronicles her experience using the smartphone app to try to get pregnant after a miscarriage; after seven months of use, she became pregnant again and is now 28 weeks along—with the Glow onesie to show for it. Walker is one of 20,000 women who credit Glow with achieving pregnancy, and the app has been available for less than a year.

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"Using Glow was very eye-opening," says Walker. "I'm so embarrassed to say this, but [before using the app], I really didn't understand how [ovulation] worked at all."

Walker says Glow helped her better learn her body's cycle and patterns. Here's how it works: The app generates individualized predictions based on the data you enter every day (from mood to cycle length to frequency of sex). Using that data, Glow generates targeted "insights" and reminders designed to help you pinpoint the perfect time to go for it. (Or, conversely, not to go for it—the app can also be used as a means of avoiding pregnancy. Call it the 2014 version of the rhythm method!)

"Some people use paper charts or little books to track, but that made it unrealistic for me to stick with it," says Walker. "I do everything on my phone, which made it most relevant to my life; instead of hunching over the bathroom sink with a pen, I could do it on the go."

One of the most interesting implications of Glow is its mass collection of data, which the app's founders will present to the American Society of Reproductive Medicine later this year. (For instance, the app has discovered that 50 percent of women incorrectly estimate their cycle length by up to four days.) The app can even potentially diagnose issues such as PCOS by noting if a woman's cycle is irregular.

Through Glow, Walker discovered that she ovulates much later in her cycle than she'd estimated. "I believe something like this could lead to a revolution in women's health," she says. "Our bodies are generating data, and by monitoring it, we can learn from it more and make the right choices for ourselves."

For those who succeed in getting pregnant, Glow Nurture provides a similar set of features so that women can better navigate the changes happening to their bodies. The app also offers an innovative savings plan called Glow First, in which couples opt to contribute $50 per month toward a shared fund for 10 months. If a user hasn't conceived after the 10-month period, she receives an even split of the entire fund (potentially a large return on the initial investment).

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I haven't personally used the app, as I've essentially given up on trying naturally and have just started my second IVF cycle. However, Walker believes it could be useful for women who are just starting to suspect infertility. "For someone in the early parts of testing, it can be really helpful to know what's going on with your body," says Walker. "The more technology can help women, the better."

Jen Jones Donatelli

Jen Jones Donatelli is an author and journalist whose work and photography have appeared in Conde Nast Traveler, LA Confidential, Natural Health, Variety, San Francisco, Whole Life Times, Clean Plates, Total Beauty, and many more. When not typing the day away at her laptop, she is also a journalism instructor for Ohio University, MediaBistro, and StoryStudio Chicago. Specializing in all things lifestyle and wellness, Jen is passionate about the topic of fertility—and thrilled to explore it more fully for REDBOOK. She lives in Los Angeles with her husband, Joe, and beloved spaniel pup, Tanner.

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